Jobs/Economy

The security of every Delaware family depends on good-paying jobs. Delaware’s economic landscape has changed drastically over the last decade, with key manufacturers leaving our state and the DuPont merger with Dow shaking the very identity of Delaware’s economy. Delawareans are right to worry about our economy in transition. But that transition also makes us focus on our strengths, and where we need to improve, as we build the Delaware economy of the future.

That future is an innovation economy, where Delaware is not only the First State when it comes to incorporating a company but also the First State when it comes to growing a company. It means having a thriving financial services sector that creates jobs in technology. It means improving data security. And it means changing how we use banking services. It requires a robust entrepreneurial economy housed at sites like coIN Loft, the Mill, and 1313 Innovation, where Delawareans are developing new products to bring to the market place. It means small businesses up and down Delaware are expanding with new hires. It’s the next generation of biotech, pharma, and agricultural sciences, creating thousands of additional high-paying jobs. And it’s a state that pursues every opportunity to create new manufacturing and blue collar jobs, like at the port of Wilmington, to make sure all Delawareans can earn a livable wage.

John understands that the role of government in promoting a strong economy is to create an environment where businesses can thrive and invest in Delaware. That means moving faster than any other state when it comes to helping locate or grow a business that will create good jobs. It includes a regulatory environment that is fair, thoughtful and timely. Delaware’s current regulatory structure rests on a 40-year-old patchwork of incoEconomynsistent and often inefficient mechanisms to resolve regulatory matters. John wants to modernize this antiquated framework by streamlining redundant and inefficient processes and utilizing technology to increase efficiency and transparency. He knows how. In Congress, John fought hard to successfully change a regulatory burden under the Affordable Care Act that threatened to shift 500 Delaware jobs overseas.

Of course, the real key to our economic future is our people. As businesses compete for the best employees, they will go and grow where the talent is. We need a workforce second to none — one that can compete not only nationally, but globally. John knows that today’s economy evolves at a rapid pace and so do the workforce needs of growing companies. We need to invest more in our people to give every Delawarean who wants to compete for the best jobs the chance to do so. John wants companies to look at Delaware first for their expansion needs, knowing that we will deliver a highly trained workforce ready to hit the ground running.

Education

EducationJohn believes that for too long, students, teachers, and parents have been shuffled from one education reform to another — from standardized test to standardized test. He thinks the best thing we can do to improve Delaware’s education system is to pick a strategy, and stick with it. Our education system, especially in the city, is not serving our kids the way it needs to.

John’s education policy will focus on the following key elements:

Making Sure All Children Get to Kindergarten Ready to Learn

• Create a Cabinet-level Council to better deliver early childhood education programming.
• Build stronger connections between early learning and K-12 schools.
• Maintain support for high quality STARS rated programs.
• Provide at-risk parents and families with early intervention and coaching from birth through early childhood.

Giving Educators the Tools and Students the Resources They Need

• Refocus the role of DOE from a regulatory agency to a support agency.
• Take advantage of the flexibility in Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to set goals and accountability measures that make sense for Delaware.
• Offer useful and effective professional development to Delaware educators.
• Develop leadership opportunities to keep high quality teachers in the classroom and supporting other teachers.
• Create flexibility with state resources so teachers and schools can more effectively address the needs of their students.
• Break down silos to get social services in schools for students and families.

Ensuring that all students graduate high school and are career and college ready

• Expand career pathways programs to get more students professional certifications before graduation.
• Create measures for school and student success based on outcomes, including career readiness.

State Budget/Government Efficiency

One of the most difficult challenges facing our next governor will be balancing the state’s budget. With some of our revenues in decline and the cost of government continuing to grow, John believes it is time to take a fresh look at state spending and how we pay for government.

As a former Secretary of Finance, John knows we can’t continue with business as usual. Increased spending in areas like health care are outpacing our ability to afford it, and crowding out other priorities like improving education and creating jobs. John believes it is time for a “reset” that takes a hard look at spending and revenue. If Delaware state government is going to continue to offer the services it provides to a growing population, and expand in areas where it’s weak, it will need to be more efficient and better able to eliminate unnecessary spending. A sustained focus on efficiency needs to be a permanent fixture of state government and embraced at the highest levels of all three branches of government. And, if we need to raise more revenue, we need an approach that promotes a growing economy, that’s fair to all taxpayers, and that minimizes the burdens on those least able to pay.

A reset for budget spending and revenue won’t be easy, but John is no stranger to tough assignments. As a member of Congress, John was one of only 38 representatives to vote for the Simpson-Bowles plan — a budget proposal that could have reined in our nation’s spending and raised revenue in a balanced way. And he cofounded a bipartisan working group with Republican colleagues to seek out common sense solutions on the federal budget and other tough issues facing Congress.

As governor, John will bring that same leadership to a bipartisan effort, working with business and other community leaders, to get our budget back on track without sacrificing the quality services that so many Delawareans depend on.

The Environment

John knows that the health of our environment has to do with more than our state’s natural resources. It impacts the health of our economy and our physical health as well.

Address climate change and sea level rise: John believes one of the most serious threats facing Delaware is that of climate change and sea level rise. As a coastal state, adapting to and mitigating against sea level rise and global warming is critical, not only for our coastal communities but also for those in low-lying flood-prone areas. This affects our entire state, from residents of Southbridge in Wilmington to farmers in Prime Hook to small business owners in Rehoboth to the roads and bridges in Seaford.

John thinks Delaware’s next Governor needs to lead the fight to coordinate our resources and expertise so that we are as ready as we can be to cope with the effects of sea level rise. Improving our resilience by adopting common-sense practices and investing in natural defenses, like wetlands, dunes, and living shorelines, will reduce risks to communities and businesses, improve wildlife habitat, and ultimately save taxpayers money by reducing expensive cleanup costs. If elected, John would work to spur investments in energy efficiency and clean energy and continue our state’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. These efforts will support well-paying manufacturing and construction jobs, lower energy bills, and reduce climate-disrupting air pollution.

Clean up Delaware’s waterways: From the Brandywine and Christina to the Nanticoke and the Inland Bays, our state has some of the most picturesque waterways in America. Yet, more than 90% of them are not safe for drinking, swimming, or fishing. The quality of Delaware’s rivers and bays is of great concern to John. In Congress, he worked hard to advance the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act, and as Governor, John would continue his focus on cleaning up our waterways. By prioritizing investments in water infrastructure and restoration projects, John would help create new tourism and recreational opportunities, spur job creation and urban redevelopment, and increase fish and wildlife populations.

Preserve open space: Because of our beaches and bayshore, cultural heritage sites and state parks, millions of tourists visit Delaware every year. They support tens of thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars of economic activity. John believes we can create more jobs and catalyze private sector investment by prioritizing our tourism economy, including continuing to improve recreational spaces, supporting Open Space and Farmland Preservation funding, advancing the Bayshore Initiative, and completing innovative projects like Fort DuPont.

Clean up old industrial sites: Abandoned facilities and decades-old pollution in our soil pose a danger to our groundwater and overall health. Cleaning up these brownfield sites will remove threats to our drinking water, prepare sites for redevelopment and new job creation, and reduce pressure to develop greenfields.

John wants our children and our children’s children to inherit a Delaware whose natural beauty is preserved and whose environmental resources are protected. As Governor, assuring this type of future for Delaware will be one of John’s priorities.

Healthcare

The cost of healthcare is hitting household pocketbooks hard. Significant increases in premiums plus higher co-pays and deductibles are eating away at the paychecks of hard-working Delawareans. Increasing healthcare costs are now the biggest driver of our growing state budget. John Carney knows that while the Affordable Care Act has made important changes to our nation’s healthcare system, we need to do more to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, while embracing reforms in how we deliver healthcare to bring greater value, quality, and transparency to the system.

As former chairman of Delaware’s Healthcare Commission, and a long-time board member of Delaware’s Cancer Consortium, John has spent years studying our state’s healthcare system and finding ways to improve it. He wants to rein in our state’s runaway health costs by creating policies to encourage healthier lifestyles and better management of chronic diseases among Delawareans. This will require that we continue to make changes to the way the incentives in our current system are aligned, but the result will be healthier individuals who spend less money on healthcare.

For the past decade and a half, John has been a leader in the state’s fight against cancer. As governor, John would continue the work he’s done on Delaware’s Cancer Consortium, increasing cancer screening, reducing disparities among different demographic groups, and lowering cancer mortality rates. We’ve made a lot of progress, but we all have friends and family who have suffered from this terrible disease and there’s much more work to do. John wants our state to embrace the Vice President’s “moonshot” initiative, in response to Beau’s passing, to eradicate cancer deaths by fostering greater collaboration and innovation in research. John agrees with the Vice President — this is the responsibility of the living.

John is also deeply concerned about the opioid and heroin addiction epidemics that are devastating communities across our country, and throughout Delaware. In Congress, John supported important reforms to make government services for combating addiction more effective and better funded. As governor, John will focus on improving access to treatment options to help individuals struggling with addiction, and on innovative strategies to help prevent individuals from becoming addicted in the first place.

Criminal Justice

As a 30-year resident of Wilmington’s Triangle neighborhood, a past chairman of the state’s Criminal Justice Council, and a former member of the Board of Pardons, John Carney has seen our criminal justice system from many perspectives.

And he knows it is a system in need of reform.

Like everyone, John wants to make sure we are keeping dangerous criminals off our streets. But he also knows that rehabilitating offenders and helping them become employed and productive members of society are the keys to safer communities. Even more important is preventing our young people from turning to a life of crime in the first place.

There are no quick or easy solutions. During his campaign for governor, John has met with community members, law enforcement officials, ex-offenders, and school leaders to gather ideas for making our criminal justice system work as it should. As governor, he will work to:

✓ Target our resources on high-risk offenders, so police are keeping a closer eye on those individuals with a history of serious and violent crimes.
✓ End the school-to-prison pipeline by giving young people employment and educational options that keep them off the streets.
✓ Give educators tools to deal with disruptive behavior in the classroom without sending students into the system for minor offenses.
✓ Provide better access to mental health care and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
✓ Allocate police resources with the needs of the community in mind.
✓ Improve education and training programs to prepare inmates for reentry into society.
✓ Work with law enforcement to develop trust within the communities they serve.
✓ And, reexamine our existing gun laws to ensure they give law enforcement the tools they need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.

Agriculture

In Delaware, agriculture accounts for more than $8 billion in economic activity each year. We’ve got 500,000 acres of farmland, 2,500 family farms, and more than 240 million chickens raised per year. Our proximity to population centers along the East Coast helps our agriculture industry thrive. In order to continue to grow our economy, John believes we need to support our farmers and look for new opportunities to expand the agricultural sector in our state.

Improving nutrient management regulations: As Governor, John will work to harmonize our state’s efforts to protect the environment with the need to support our long tradition of being an agricultural engine for the country. Delaware’s farmers are the backbone of our state, particularly in southern Delaware. They are stewards of the land, and they more than anyone understand the importance of robust environmental protections. However, the cost of complying with certain regulations can impose a difficult burden for Delaware’s farmers to meet. That’s why John thinks we need to work with farmers to develop policies that are both practical, and effective. We also need to give farmers the resources they need to be environmentally responsible.

Reducing permitting barriers: In Delaware, poultry is king, with almost all of the grain grown in our state supporting our chicken industry. Yet, the poultry industry has its challenges. We have more than 60 pending farm construction loans totaling $60 million on hold due to permitting and regulatory issues. While we have seen growth in poultry houses, these delays can cause family farmers great hardship when their livelihood depends on being able to grow chickens. John believes we need to work to ensure that regulations and permitting don’t delay families from supporting their small businesses.

Preserving farmland: Delaware first began the farmland preservation program in 1996 and in the ensuing 20 years has seen more than 120,000 acres permanently preserved. As we see decreasing farmland due to development, we need to continue to support the preservation of our farms. Almost our entire grain crop goes toward feeding our chicken industry and, with fewer farms, we will be forced to truck in grain while transportation costs are soaring, leading to increased chicken prices. With the average age of a farm owner in Delaware at 55, John believes we need to ensure that future generations who want to join their family farm are able to continue running these small businesses without huge tax burdens.

Promoting agribusiness: In the past decade, Delaware has seen huge growth in farmers’ markets providing fresh products directly to consumers and has become an economic engine providing more than $3 million in sales in 2015. We have farmers shipping apples to be used at McDonald’s and watermelons for sale in grocery stores across the region, value-added products such as lavender soap, wine, and an assortment of jams and jelly, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. We have growing agribusiness opportunities in Delaware where farms are realizing new funding sources, like value added products. These new ventures promote Delaware products while sustaining farms through the dull months of the winter. Farms in Delaware are even contributing to our tourism economy, like at Lavender Fields in Milton. John believes we need to continue to foster agribusiness in this ever-changing economy to realize the full potential of our agriculture markets.^[10]

The first session of the114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session.^[15][16] For more information pertaining to Carney's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.^[17]

Economic and fiscal

Trade Act of 2015

See also:The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015

Trade adjustment assistance
On June 12, 2015, theHouse rejected thetrade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure inHR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302.Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged withtrade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Carney was one of 40 Democrats to vote in favor of TAA.^[18][19]
Trade promotion authority
On June 12, 2015, theHouse passed thetrade promotion authority (TPA) measure inHR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives thepresident fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent toCongress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill includingtrade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Carney was one of 157Democrats to vote against the measure.^[20][21]
Trade promotion authority second vote
After thetrade adjustment assistance (TAA) andtrade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass theHouse together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment toHR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining his or her original position on TPA except forTed Yoho (R-Fla.). Carney was one of 158Democrats to vote against the amendment.^[22][23]
Trade adjustment assistance second vote
TheHouse passedHR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. TheSenate packagedtrade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure inHR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along withtrade promotion authority (TPA), whichCongress passed as part ofHR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Carney was one of 175Democrats to vote in favor of HR 1295.^[24][25]

Defense spending authorization

On May 15, 2015, theHouse passedHR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Carney voted with 142 otherDemocrats and eightRepublicans against the bill.^[26] The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. PresidentBarack Obamavetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.^[27]

On November 5, 2015, theHouse passedS 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison.^[28][29] Carney voted with 134 otherDemocrats and 235Republicans to approve the bill.^[30] On November 10, 2015, theSenate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and PresidentBarack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.^[31]

2016 Budget proposal

On April 30, 2015, theHouse voted to approveSConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183Democrats who voted, including Carney, voted against the resolution.^[32][33][34]

2015 budget

On October 28, 2015, theHouse passedHR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017.^[35] Carney voted with 186Democrats and 79Republicans in favor of the bill.^[36] It passed theSenate on October 30, 2015.^[37] PresidentBarack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015.

Foreign Affairs

Iran nuclear deal

See also:Iran nuclear agreement, 2015

On May 14, 2015, theHouse approvedHR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required PresidentBarack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review.Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Carney voted with 176Democrats to approve the bill.^[38][39]

Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
On September 11, 2015, theHouse rejectedHR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approvingthe nuclear agreement with Iran. Carney voted with 161Democrats for the bill.^[40][41]

Suspension of Iran sanctions relief
On September 11, 2015, theHouse approvedHR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Carney voted with 185Democrats against the bill.^[42][43]

Presidential non-compliance of section 2
On September 10, 2015, theHouse passedH Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of theIran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. HouseRepublicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Carney voted with 185Democrats against the resolution.^[44][45]

Export-Import Bank

On October 27, 2015, theHouse passedHR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods.^[46] Carney voted with 185Democrats and 127Republicans in favor of the bill.^[47]

Domestic

USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

On May 13, 2015, theHouse passedHR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revisedHR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from theForeign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Carney voted with 141Democrats and 196Republicans to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.^[48][49]

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

On May 13, 2015, theHouse passedHR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Carney voted with 179Democrats against the bill.^[50][51]

Cyber security

On April 23, 2015, theHouse passedHR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies.^[52] Carney voted with 134Democrats and 220Republicans to approve the bill.^[53]

On April 22, 2015, theHouse passedHR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116.^[54] The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Carney voted with 104Democrats and 202Republicans in favor of the bill.^[55]

Immigration

On November 19, 2015, theHouse passedHR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137.^[56] The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Carney voted with 46Democrats and 242Republicans in favor of the bill.^[57]

Carney most often votes with:

• Suzanne Bonamici
• Chris Gibson

Carney least often votes with:

• Jim Matheson
• Justin Amash

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